The Issue of Marine Air Emissions - is it as black as it seems?

Arthur Bowring, Managing Director, Hong Kong Shipowners Association

Transportation & Logistics Committee

To: All Members of Transportation & Logistics and Environment Committees
From: Robert Chipman, AmCham Transportation & Logistics Committee Chair

The world's shipping industry is responsible for carrying 90% of world trade and is the life blood of the global economy. Without ships, half of the world would freeze and the other half would starve. Due to continuous improvements in technology and efficiency, maritime transport costs are very competitive.

Ships are also a very environmentally friendly form of transport. Lord Stern, in his recent report on the Economics of Climate Change, attributes just 14% of world greenhouse gas emissions to transport, with rail and shipping together contributing just 1/8 of this, or 1.75% globally. But there is more that can be done to cut marine emissions of other air pollutants, and governments are now debating revisions to the global regulations that control these emissions.

Arthur Bowring, managing director of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, will describe how the maritime industry operates, what controls are already in place and where maritime air pollution regulations could go in the future. The Association, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, has a reputation for being outspoken when addressing issues of public concern. Arthur has almost 40 years broad experience in various parts of the maritime sector.